How many people play football?

A:

Quick Answer

As of 2014, there are approximately 1,696 players in the United States' National Football League (NFL) and 265,000,000 players in the World Football League. The total number of active players per season varies depending on the version of the sport.

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There are 32 teams in the National Football League (NFL) and each is permitted to have up to 53 players during each regular season. However, only 46 can be active on game days. Only .2% of high school players reach the NFL. The NFL suggests that there are 100,000 high school seniors who play football every year and of those, 9,000 go on to play at the college level.

In 2006, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) conducted a global count — called the Big Count — to determine how many individuals worldwide are playing the sport. The FIFA count includes both adult and youth players registered in leagues.